"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints (I Cor. 6:1)?"

The “grapevine” is still a vast source for all sorts of information whether true or false—and people listen and often make judgments. Perhaps you have heard of Mr. Gerald Flurry’s announcements recently concerning Mr. John Durrad and the Church of God’s Faithful (CGF) bringing a law suit against Mr. Flurry and his church.

Would the Church of God’s Faithful dare go to Law before the unjust, against the Laodicean Church and Joshua their high priest? No! That would be foolish and direct disobedience to the Law stated in I Corinthians 6:1. And it would make us hypocrites for doing the same as that for which we blamed the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) in their court battle against the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).

Please allow me to explain how the CGF innocently, but unwisely, became caught up in a legal situation that did infringe upon God’s law.

Mr. Durrad’s schedule of events will be presented below, but first let me state my honest thoughts, intentions, and involvement concerning this man of God being fired from his ministerial position in the PCG, the accusation of “gross misconduct” against his good name, and his pursuit of unemployment compensation from the British labor authorities.

Mr. Flurry evidently has an incredibly short memory since very similar circumstances had happened to him when he was fired from the WCG by Joe Tkach, Jr. Gerald Flurry had brought the truth of the man of sin sitting in the Temple of God to a few of his “friends” in his home church area of Edmond, OK. He was reported to WCG headquarters by some of these “friends” and subsequently fired—and disfellowshipped! Most likely Gerald Flurry was accused of “gross misconduct”—I don’t know!

It is true that John Durrad began studying CGF material and proving his studies by the Bible while he was still employed by the PCG. He knew he was in a precarious situation—he was “stuck between a rock and a hard place”. The PCG was his livelihood, but, of course, he had to follow Jesus Christ—not a befuddled man. Mr. Durrad also had to teach the truth of God’s Word not bizarre ideas of men—again similar to Gerald Flurry’s situation when he recognized the problems in the WCG doctrine by comparing those false teachings with the Word of God.

Mr. Durrad became disturbed at the weird doctrines Gerald Flurry was forcing upon his blind followers. Especially, the brazen claim he had taken unto himself that he was That Prophet, a title which belongs only to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Such an act made Gerald Flurry a false Christ and thereby becoming an abomination in God’s sight [For documentation on that statement, request or download our booklet, Whose Reads…Let him Understand]. Mr. Flurry also claims his book, Malachi’s Message to the Church of God is the little book of Revelation 10—a boast that is utterly preposterous.

Added to those heretical claims was the enforcement of those false beliefs upon anyone seeking to become a member of the PCG. Those false doctrines in addition to the completely unbiblical ruling that PCG members can have no contact with any former PCG member or anyone connected to any of the splits and splinters of the WCG—which include family members in many cases—produced an awareness within John Durrad that the PCG was biblically off-track.

Gerald Flurry considers all former WCG members as Laodiceans when in reality the PCG is the Laodicean Church and Gerald Flurry is the high priest. The realization that he was a part of the Laodicean Church became crystal clear in Mr. Durrad’s mind, therefore when a respected member of his congregation asked him who the leader of the Laodicean Church was; he knew he had to take the question directly to Gerald Flurry.

Instead of an answer, the high priest of Laodicea demanded that Mr. Durrad suspend the questioner. Attempting to explain to Mr. Flurry that the man was asking a legitimate questions resulted in the firing of this man of very high character and a true shepherd of God, Mr. John Durrad—and the disfellowshipping of Mr. Ralph Turner who had asked the question.

Gerald Flurry, the high priest of Laodicea, had revealed the “man of sin” sitting in the Temple of God. Now, this man himself is identified not only as the Joshua of Zechariah 3 clothed in his filthy garments, but also as the abomination standing in the Holy Place with his “about 25” full-time priests (Ezek. 8:16 and Matt. 24:15)!

Lashing out in anger at someone who is honestly desirous to follow Christ is not showing love and patience. Gerald Flurry responded in anger, apparently, because he was afraid of the answer to the question. The CGF has knocked on the Laodicean door for over 10 years informing the PCG that their high priest is the leader of Laodicea—therefore that is a touchy subject and Gerald Flurry is leading his blind Laodiceans into deeper darkness.

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother [Why become terribly upset over an honest question?], is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes (I John 2:9-11).

John Durrad had been fired, his name dishonored, and he needed employment. How could he seek employment with the label of “gross misconduct” on his resume?

The CGF is a small organization and has no full-time employed ministers. I, myself, have never received a salary from the WCG, PCG, or CGF. My youngest son is our office manager, accountant, and treasurer and our only full-time employee. We have been organized as the Church of Jesus Christ since September of 1997. And we have never missed recording Sabbath services except on rare occasions immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles. The fruit of our ministry is New Revealed Truth directly from the Word of God! And Jesus Christ has had this New Truth proclaimed in many areas around the world through His Church (see Isaiah 29:15).

The true Church can never cease growing in New Truth! II Peter 3:18 instructs true Christians to continually grow in the grace of God and in the knowledge of Christ our Lord and Savior. Jesus is the Living Word of God—the Bible is the written Word of God. Therefore, as you grow in the knowledge of the Word of God you grow in new understanding of the Bible—New Truth!

Jesus Christ prayed in John 17:17 that the Father would sanctify or “set apart” his true followers by Truth. This is how the CGF is identified—we are set apart by truth—over 75 New Truths that can be proven from God’s Word. And yet in his overwhelming vanity, Gerald Flurry wrote in a recent PCG member/ co-worker letter that only Herbert W. Armstrong and he, himself, have been given truth in the Philadelphian/Laodicean era! But he shrinks away from reading CGF literature, which does contain wonderful New Truth from Jesus Christ. And honestly, if Mr. Flurry has received any new truth since 1997, I would like to know what it is!

In 1997 he was given the truth of Ezekiel 33 and Hosea 9 and had it written in the July issue of The Philadelphia Ministers’ Report and later in The Philadelphia News by Joel Hilliker, entitled “Support the Watchman”. You may read this final truth given to Gerald Flurry in our booklet, Elijah’s Message to the Philadelphia Church of God on pages 46-48.

Daniel Frendo, John Durrad, and Frank Borg recognized the errors of the high priest of Laodicea’s so-called “truths” and were willing to give up their positions in the PCG to faithfully follow Jesus Christ in the New Truth He is continually revealing to the CGF. These men are heroes in my opinion—just the opposite of those who are hirelings attached to Gerald Flurry through his “purse string”! Mr. Frendo, first, then Mr. Durrad, and now Mr. Borg found where New Truth was being given—and New Truth comes from where Christ is—thus they proceeded to where Christ is!

And you can believe that there are other sincere ministers snared in the PCG that know they are in the Laodicean Church and will be with us eventually as part of the men of signs of Zech. 3:8. Although we are small in, number, we are growing with the worldwide Work of Christ in building the Spiritual Temple. Mr. Wallace Lawton, another hero and former PCG minister, who had suffered similar treatment as Mr. Durrad, is also with us and is elatedly serving the Living Christ.

During the 11 years of the CGF Christ has humbled and prepared us as the Pillars of His Spiritual Temple.

“I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD (Zeph. 3:12). “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out…(Rev. 3:12).”

During this same time period, Gerald Flurry and his Laodicean Church have become perfectly described by Rev. 3:14-20. They have become lukewarm to the Work of God; instead have gone to the world seeking membership, blindly following their high priest into abominations. They are rich and increased with worldly goods! “We have it all; we have it all,” Mr. Flurry has exulted. Yet they lack love and concern for the begotten children of God snared in the synagogue of Satan.

When asked to describe the fruit of the PCG, one hireling minister exclaimed: “Oh! Just look at our “buildings!” I have suggested that if “buildings” are what they should look to as godly fruit, perhaps they should travel up to Tulsa and visit the Oral Roberts University award-winning campus that has many more beautiful buildings than the Laodicean PCG has. The Living Christ is interested in His Spiritual Temple—not a physical “building” in Edmond, OK—or a hole in the ground in the city of Jerusalem.

But with Mr. Durrad’s situation, I had prayed about and looked to God’s word for guidance. The apostle Paul had appealed his case to Caesar as we all know. Herbert W. Armstrong appealed to the courts when the state of California unlawfully appointed a receiver to take over control of the WCG.

I thought it would be perfectly within the law and his legal right for John Durrad to seek justice from a “labor board”; in England called a “citizens advice bureau.” He was seeking unemployment compensation, he wanted to “clear his name,” and, if possible, receive a severance pay from the PCG.

However, things got out of hand once the legal machinery began its operation. I was naively unaware of the motives and direction the legal process had taken and completely shocked when I realized what was happening. I should have stopped it immediately once I found we were out of bounds. Thus in our innocence we did wrong—and we learned a lesson.

"Indeed then there is already on the whole a failure among you, that you have lawsuits with yourselves. Why not instead be wronged? Why not instead be defrauded (I Cor. 6:7 MKJV)?"

We had no intention of suing anybody—but we became caught up in the legal system of this world—and it cost the CGF £2000 and the embarrassment of knowing we had made an awful mistake. I have certainly repented before God of allowing the CGF to be involved in something that even had an appearance of evil (I Thess. 5:22).

Thus, Mr. Flurry had the right to report the CGF’s unwise involvement in Mr. Durrad’s case!